BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

18/07/2006

Samsung seeks to streamline cell phone import procedures in Belarus

MINSK, July 18 (Prime-Tass) -- South Korean electronics equipment producer Samsung plans to make proposals to the Belarusian authorities for streamlining the procedures governing the import of mobile handsets into the country, a spokesperson with Samsung told reporters Tuesday.

Currently, a large number of mobile handsets are imported into the country under so-called "gray schemes" resulting in a loss of revenue from import duties and taxes for Belarus' budget, Alexei Kovalenko, Samsung's manager for business development in Belarus, said.

"We can not advise the state to do anything. We want to show the current situation: how much time it takes to certify and to legally import phones, how much time is wasted and how much potential revenue the budget loses," Kovalenko said, adding that some handset models, if imported legally, are introduced on the Belarusian market two to three months later compared to other markets.

Samsung estimates its share of the Belarusian market at 25%, which makes it the second largest vendor after Nokia, which has about 28% of the market.

Source:

http://www.cellular-news.com/story/18335.php

Google